twenty-five
SITTING IN AN armchair in his drawing room, Royston stared at the door, waiting for Havisham to come.
Angeline paced, looking out of the window now and then. Mrs. Haywood instead kept knitting in front of the warm hearth as if she didn’t have a care in the world. She wore a big ruby ring that caught the light of the flames, almost in a disturbing way. The flashing colour reminded him of the Theatre Royal.
“How can you be so calm?” Angeline asked her mother.
Mrs. Haywood lifted a shoulder. “We have a strategy. I’m sure everything will go as planned, and if it doesn’t, we’ll make another plan. That’s how you survive.”
Angeline’s gaze shot towards the ceiling. “I hope you’re right.”
Enright entered the room. He cast an apprehensive glance at Mrs. Haywood. The woman must still have made him wary. “My lord, Lord Havisham.”
“Thank you, Enright. Show him in.” Royston stood up although his legs were still like rubber.
Angeline stopped pacing and faced the door. Mrs. Haywood rose as well, dropping her knit work on the armchair.
“What is the meaning of your summoning—” Havisham stopped in the middle of the room when he saw Mrs. Haywood.
A couple of scorching glances were exchanged between them.
“Havisham.” Mrs. Haywood curtsied with a gesture that was anything but courteous.
Angeline curtsied as well, but her movement was brusque and short. “Lord Havisham.”
“Wharton?” Havisham ignored the ladies. “Why am I here?”
“I’ll get straight to the point,” Royston said. “I know you persuaded Lord Redvers to withdraw his Parliamentary support for me. I also know that the list Mrs. Haywood was supposed to have doesn’t exist, and that Mrs. Haywood has never abused fallen women for her purposes, although Mrs. Walsh said otherwise.”
“What?” Mrs. Haywood’s voice turned low and dangerous. “What did you say?”
Damn. He’d never mentioned to Mrs. Haywood that particular lie of Havisham.
“Lord Havisham said you abused young women for your blackmailing jobs,” Angeline said. “That you had a list of fallen women you exploited.”
“How dare you.” Mrs. Haywood’s nostrils flared. She was so enraged that her ruby ring seemed to flash more brightly. “I would never do such a thing.”
“Mrs. Walsh,” Royston said, “the woman, who manages the women’s shelter I sponsor, claimed that a lady with your name and matching your description visited the shelter with the purpose of recruiting women.”
“Utter poppycock.” Mrs. Haywood pointed a finger at Havisham. “He must have sent a woman who looked like me to the shelter to use the information against you.”
Havisham huffed as if bored although a light tremor in his hand belied his true feelings.
Royston continued. “I also know it was you who called the police that night I entered Miss Haywood’s house.”
Mrs. Haywood widened her eyes. Oops. Another thing she wasn’t aware of.
Royston continued, “But I need to hear from you the reason you did all these things. There is no private detective. It was all a lie to convince me to steal those damning documents. Why?”
Havisham surveyed the room before answering. “Do you really think I want to see my former footman rise as my equal in the House of Lords? You were a good servant, and I admit you have a talent for business, but we’re talking about a title, politics, and fortune. About being part of Parliament, about creating this nation’s laws. These are responsibilities and privileges you have no right to receive. All your opinions about saving those fallen women. Oh, please. They’re just harlots. The work we do in the House of Lords is above you and your little charities. Money is one thing. Blood nobility is quite another, and you’ll never be one of us.”
Royston forced himself to remain calm although Havisham’s words hurt him deeply. “I see. Well, now that we’re laying our cards on the table, I guess we can start a proper battle between us. I will fight for a seat. I will be in the House of Lords.”
“You’ll never have a seat in Parliament,” Havisham said. “And I’m through with all of you. I don’t want to be threatened or blackmailed ever again.” He turned towards Mrs. Haywood. “Have I made myself clear? Or I swear I’ll have you arrested.”
Mrs. Haywood folded her hands in the small of her back in a neat, calm pose. “Very clear. No more blackmailing if you promise to leave Angeline alone.”
“I don’t care about your daughter,” Havisham said.
